Dolphin Day
by PhoenixTears80
Summary: It's Groundhog Day, seaQuest style!
1. Chapter 1

**Dolphin Day**

By PhoenixTears80

Have you ever seen the movie "Groundhog Day"? Well, this is "Groundhog Day," only done seaQuest style. I know it's not terribly original, but hopefully this will be much better than it sounds. Just go with me on this one :o) If you decide to stop reading, or if you leave me terrible reviews, I promise that I will understand, and there will be no hard feelings.

I have to send my infinite thanks and appreciation to Kiddo for her encouragement. It's been a long time since I posted my one and only story, and she keeps telling me to write more.

I'm used to being the beta-reader for stories that are not my own, and, as such, I have no beta-reader _of_ my own. Any mistakes belong entirely to me. And on that note, here's a list of things that do **not** belong to me: the seaQuest, its crew, "Groundhog Day," or any money that has ever been made (or will be made) off of the first three items listed. I wrote this for fun.

To give you a context, let's say this story takes place after the episode "Nothing But the Truth."

And now, on with the show!

Chapter 1

BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP!

Lieutenant Ben Krieg, of the UEO submarine seaQuest, woke up for his shift at 6:00 a.m., one day before shore leave. Groaning loudly, he reached over and slammed his hand down on top of the alarm clock that had ripped him out of dreamland. Rubbing his eyes, he forced himself to sit up, knowing that if he continued to lie there, he would most certainly fall back asleep.

The coming day was going to be hell. He had to complete a thorough inventory and check with each crew member on the ship to determine what supplies would need to be delivered while everyone was on leave. He did his best to ignore the little voice in his head that told him he should have started a couple of days ago. All he wanted was to make it through the day, pack his bags, and get off the ship to enjoy a well-deserved break.

After the exhaustion of studying for his officer review and helping to save the seaQuest from terrorists, he didn't think anyone would make him do any actual work! Unfortunately for him, he was wrong. It was all because of this stupid Colonel Schraeder mess. First, they had to get everything cleaned up after the hull siphons pumped as much of the water out as possible, and then he had to figure out what had been ruined and needed to be replaced. What a nightmare!

He had really been hoping to take a shuttle and make it off the ship early too. The National Weather Service had been calling for severe storms in the area around Pearl Harbor, which was where the ship was supposed to dock, and Ben was afraid that if he waited until the next day like he was supposed to, he might have to wait out the storms on the seaQuest, thus cutting into his precious vacation time.

_Oh well_, thought Ben as he stood up to start putting on his uniform. _The sooner I get started, the sooner I'll be finished, and maybe I'll make it off this tin can tonight before the storms hit_. Just as Ben was buttoning the last couple of buttons, another thought occurred to him, and he smiled broadly. Lucas wasn't doing anything that day - he could help with the inventory! _After all, two heads are better than one_, he thought.

After leaving his quarters, Krieg went straight to the mess to grab a genetically enhanced coffee-like drink, and a carb-free bagel with non-dairy cream cheese. Alternately taking bites of the bagel and sips of the non-coffee, Krieg headed towards Lucas's cabin. He shook his head briefly as he choked down a piece of too-dry bagel with creamy white goo on it. He missed the days of real food and drink. It was a shame that the bag of real coffee he'd hidden away before the Schraeder mess had gotten ruined in the flooding...

Finally reaching Lucas's cabin, Krieg shoved open the door without knocking, thinking he could find a fun way to wake his friend up. Alas, luck was not on his side. The bed sat on the far side of the messy cabin, and it was empty. Cursing to himself, Krieg tossed his drink cup in the overflowing trash can and turned to leave the cabin. Standing outside the door, he thought to himself, _If I were a teenage computer genius, stuck on a submarine the last day before shore leave, where would I be? _

His eyes took on a wicked gleam as he remembered that right about now was Katie Hitchcock's regular workout time. She was still pretty tense after the whole takeover thing, so she'd be in the gym, trying to blow off some steam. This would be the last day the hormone-ridden teenager would have to watch her using the weight machines.

Turning to his left, he headed for the gym.

Twenty minutes later, Krieg left the gym with a slightly red face. His ex-wife was clearly not in the mood for his oh-so-charming comments about how she looked in her workout clothes.

After many heartfelt apologies, Ben managed to ask Katie whether or not she had seen Lucas on her way to the gym. She tersely told him to try the Moon Pool and then proceeded to mention that if he'd actually used half of the brains he was probably born with, he might have thought of that on his own without having to bother her.

After a few minutes' walk, Ben stepped into the Moon Pool. Sure enough, Lucas was standing by the edge, staring into the water. Thinking that maybe Lucas was in a better mood than Katie, he walked silently up behind the teenager and clapped his hand down on the kid's right shoulder. He hadn't taken into consideration the fact that it was still early and Lucas might not be _totally _awake yet. He received a reminder when the teenager's right elbow shot back and hit him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Lucas whipped his head around. "Ben! Man, I'm sorry, I didn't hear you!"

"It's ok," Ben wheezed, "happens all the time."

"I'll bet," Lucas smirked, thinking of Ben's famous 'people skills.' "What's up?"

Rubbing his stomach, Ben said, "I've been looking for you for the last 20 minutes or so." He noticed that Lucas's attention was drifting back to the water. "Ok, I give - what's so fascinating about the water? Did it start moving in shapes on it's own 'Abyss' style?"

Lucas's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "'Abyss' style?" he repeated.

Ben shook his head. "Obviously not a Spielberg fan." Lucas looked at him questioningly. "You know, Spielberg? The director? He did Jaws, Jurassic Park... never mind." Ben decided he would never get Lucas to help him with the inventory by insulting his lack of knowledge of pop culture icons. "What do you keep looking into the water for?"

"I'm waiting for Darwin," Lucas explained. "He was going to swim up to the surface and come back to tell me if the storms have started yet. I want to try and get off the boat tonight if I can, so that I won't be stuck here."

Krieg smiled, liking how Lucas's thoughts were going in the same direction as his. "Couldn't you just look on the Internex for a weather update?"

"I could," Lucas said, "but you know the meteorologists never know what they're talking about. There was a weather guy that my grandparents told me about once. His name was Stu Kerr, and he always said that he would never give his forecast without first looking out the window." Ben nodded for Lucas to continue. "Well, looking out the windows here won't do me much good, so I sent Darwin up to see what the weather is actually doing."

"Gotcha," said Krieg. "I'm actually trying to get off the ship early myself. I have this monster inventory to do, and I was hoping my best pal might be willing to help me out." Before Lucas could start shaking his head 'no,' Krieg rushed on. "You know, it will get done a lot quicker with two of us, and then we can get started on some fun times involving beaches and margaritas, non-alcoholic for you."

Lucas thought for a moment. His bag for shore leave _was _already packed, and he didn't have anything else planned for today except to wait for Darwin to get back with the weather report. "I guess I can help you out."

"That's the spirit!" Ben cried enthusiastically. Out of the corner of his eye, Ben caught sight of a bit of gray in the water heading towards the edge of the pool. Ben pointed. "Perfect timing! He can tell us about the weather, and then we can get cracking on the inventory."

Darwin broke the surface and playfully splashed a small amount of water at Lucas and Ben. Laughing, Lucas put his hand out to stroke Darwin's head. "So, Fish Face, what's the forecast for today?"

End of Chapter 1 

So what do you think? Worth continuing? My inquiring mind wants to know.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much to those who reviewed Chapter 1. I appreciate every kind word and your encouragement to continue this story. As you can see, I have taken your advice.

I apologize for the _extremely_ long delay in posting Chapter 2, but I've been in the process of moving into a new apartment and looking for a new job (both ventures have been successful). I hope you understand.

Please see the beginning of Chapter 1 for a disclaimer.

And awaaaaaaaaaaaaay we go!

Chapter 2

_Darwin broke the surface and playfully splashed a small amount of water at Lucas and Ben. Laughing, Lucas put his hand out to stroke Darwin's head. "So, Fish Face, what's the forecast for today?"_

"Grey sky," responded Darwin in his mechanical voice. "Big waves."

"Getting windy up there?" Lucas asked. Darwin nodded.

"Is it raining yet?" Ben asked the dolphin.

"No rain. Grey sky and big waves - hard to swim," Darwin said.

"Great," said Ben, "just great. Let's get started on that inventory so we can get off this tub tonight."

"Sounds good," said Lucas. The teenager turned to Darwin. "I'm gonna help Ben out today, but I'll stop in to say goodbye before I leave."

"Darwin help Ben too," the dolphin replied.

Ben smiled and shook his head. "I don't think you can help, Darwin, but I'll come by later also if the kid here and I can manage to get everything done. Cool?"

"Cool," Darwin repeated and turned to swim off to the Aqua Tube.

Lucas and Ben stood in the corridor outside the Moon Pool trying to come up with a game plan.

"Ok," Ben started, "why don't you start with the science crew. I'm not really in the mood for a lecture from Dr. Westphalen about how I should be more responsible and how I should have started earlier, blah blah blah." Lucas nodded. "Along those lines, would you also mind talking to Captain Bridger and Commander Ford for me?"

"Why them?" Lucas asked.

Ben rolled his eyes. "Because, I do plan on talking to Katie, and there are only so many looks of disdain and accusations of being irresponsible I can take in one day." Lucas just smiled and shook his head, but he agreed to talk to the captain and commander.

"So you want to check in around lunchtime so we can see where we stand?" Lucas asked.

"Sounds good," said Ben. "Then we can figure out if we're gonna make it out of here tonight."

"You know," Lucas started, "it's not _that _big of a deal if we're not done in time to take a launch tonight. Worst comes to worst, it starts storming up there and the ship won't be able to dock for a day or two. And then voila! Extra time to finish the inventory!"

"Yeah, well, hopefully worst won't come to worst," Ben said. "Now, you go that way," he said, pointing in the direction of the science labs, "and I'll go that way," pointing in the direction of Engineering, where he knew an irritable Katie Hitchcock would be working post-exercise.

"You got it," said Lucas. "See you around lunchtime in the mess."

Lucas walked into the science lab to find Captain Bridger casually chatting with Dr. Westphalen about what they planned to do during shore leave. A smile spread across his face as he realized that he could kill two birds with one stone here.

The teenager strolled over to the captain and the doctor. Noticing his presence, the captain's face lit up with a smile. "Hey, Kiddo, good to see you!" He threw his arm around the boy's shoulders. "I was just discussing shore leave plans with the good doctor here. Assuming the storms clear up in a couple of days, we were thinking about doing some snorkeling. You up for it?"

"We would love it if you'd join us," the doctor chimed in.

"Sure, that sounds like fun," he said with a smile.

"Excellent," said Doctor Westphalen.

"Anyway," Lucas began, "I'm glad you're both here."

"What's up?" asked Captain Bridger.

"Well, as you know, Ben is doing an inventory to find out what needs to be replaced after all the damage from the attack on the ship."

"Ben is _doing _an inventory?" questioned the captain. "I spoke to him about that several days ago, he should be _done_ by now."

Lucas smiled sheepishly. "Well, you know Ben."

"That I do," said Bridger, "and knowing him as I do, I'm guessing he didn't start until this morning."

"You must be psychic," Lucas replied.

Bridger laughed. "Trust me, it doesn't take a psychic."

"You can say that again," Dr. Westphalen added.

"Anyway," Lucas continued, "he asked my help with it since I'm not doing anything today, and I figured if I help him and we get it done early then we can take a launch up early before the storms hit and get in a little extra R&R."

"That's very nice of you to help him," Dr. Westphalen said with a wicked gleam in her eye. "And I'm guessing that the reason you're here talking to us is so that Ben can avoid a double lecture about responsibility."

Lucas snorted in amusement. "You really _must _be psychic..." he muttered.

Bridger smiled. "Well, how about we get you our lists of what needs replacing and then I go find Lieutenant Krieg and have a little chat with him." Lucas raised his eyebrows questioningly. "What kind of captain would I be if I deprived one of my officers of a lesson about a proper work ethic?"

Lucas smiled. "Obviously not a very good one. Now, how about we get those lists?"

Over in Engineering, Ben was having about as much luck with Katie as he expected.

"How you ever got to be a lieutenant is beyond me," she said to Ben, shaking her head and fingering the collar of her uniform.

"Productive use of my dazzling wits and charm," Ben replied without pause.

"Yeah, right," she said.

"An-y-way," Ben said, drawing out the word, "can I have your list so I can order your replacements before I go on shore leave, or what?"

Being the responsible officer she was, Katie already had her list made out. She pulled it out of her pocket and went to hand it to Ben, only to pull it back right before his fingers closed around it. "You're lucky I took the time to write this up a couple of days ago when I was _expecting _you to come ask for it."

Ben fought the urge to roll his eyes as he replied, "Yeah, I know, I'm really lucky." She allowed him to grab the piece of paper out of her hand. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a boat full of people to talk to."

Krieg started to walk away but turned back, realizing that something was missing. "Where's your necklace?" he asked curiously. Not many people knew it, but Katie often wore her Naval Academy class ring on a chain around her neck under her uniform. She didn't wear it on her finger since she worked so often with her hands and didn't want it catching on anything, but Ben knew she liked to keep it on her as a reminder of her accomplishments. Her hand at the collar of her uniform brought Ben's attention to the fact that he couldn't see the gold chain peeking out.

Katie's eyes and voice hardened slightly. "Just didn't feel like wearing it today."

"Geez, no need to get all defensive about it, I was just curious," Ben said backing away, holding his hands up. "I'll just go now."

"Have fun!" Katie called sarcastically as Ben walked away, perusing her list and wondering why she was so peeved today.

Lucas met Ben in the mess at lunchtime. They had both made pretty good progress, so they decided to sit for a little while and eat and relax.

"The captain said he wants to talk to you, Ben," Lucas said with a smirk on his face.

"Brilliant," Ben mumbled. "I thought I was going to be able to get through the day with only Katie's lecture."

"Oh well," started Lucas, "you could always go find him and get it over with."

"I guess," said Ben. "How many people you got left?"

"Not many," Lucas said. "Science crew is taken care of, as are Captain Bridger and Commander Ford. I also ran into O'Neill and Ortiz on my way here, so I have their lists as well."

"Good job, my friend," Krieg said. "I have Katie's list, everyone in Engineering, Crocker's and the rest of the security team."

"Great!" exclaimed Lucas. "So you don't have that many to go." Krieg nodded. "I also had an idea."

"What's that?" Ben asked.

"Why don't we go back to my quarters and I'll start entering the lists we have in a spreadsheet. Then, you can start calling people on their Pals to see what they need, and as new requests come in, I'll just enter them on the spreadsheet, and then you can submit the spreadsheet electronically with the requisition form."

"I _knew _there was a reason I asked for your help, kid!" Ben couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. "This is gonna be great! But hang on, what if people have long lists, like lots of personal items and stuff?" He was silent for a moment. "Never mind, I can just tell them we can only get the essentials for now and that we can order everything else after shore leave. It's perfect!"

End of Chapter 2

I know this chapter seemed kind of slow, but Chapter 3 is where it'll start to pick up more. And (big bonus here), now that I'm done moving and I know in my head where this is going, I should be able to add the next chapter a lot sooner.

Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

I'm on a roll here :o) Chapter 3, and it didn't take me a month to write it. This is where things will hopefully pick up.

Enjoy!

Chapter 3

After lunch, Lucas and Ben headed back to Lucas's quarters so they could start putting together the spreadsheet and contacting the remaining crew members that they had not already talked to. Lucas sat down at his desk and Ben sat on his bunk.

"Thanks again for helping me, kid," Ben said with a sheepish grin on his face.

"No problem, Ben," Lucas replied.

Lucas started entering the data they had compiled into a spreadsheet, and Ben started making calls to various crew members.

Time passed fairly quickly, and before long, Ben had contacted everyone on the ship that he or Lucas hadn't already spoken too. There were several people who weren't happy about not being able to replace their personal items, but Ben wanted off the ship early, so he stuck with the 'We can only get the essentials now - everything else will have to wait' line. Who cared about laziness - there were good times to be had!

Around 4:00 in the afternoon, Ben and Lucas were finished. Ben realized that he could have done a better (or at least more thorough) job if he'd started earlier, and he would probably have been able to help people replace their personal objects, but they would get the necessities, and, more importantly, he and Lucas would get on land before the storms started.

"Great job, my friend," Ben said, slapping Lucas on the back. Now all they had to do was submit the spreadsheet with the requisition form, and they'd be all set.

"All in a day's work," Lucas said with a smug smile.

"Yeah," answered Ben, "who but a computer genius and the laziest man in the UEO could get at least three-day's worth of work done in one morning and afternoon?"

"Not many, I'm betting."

"You got that right, kid," Ben said. He watched as Lucas hit the button on his computer to submit the paperwork for all the replacement supplies. "Anyway," he continued, "I gotta go pack my bag and find out about getting us a launch. Meet you at the Moon Pool to say goodbye to Darwin?"

"Sure," Lucas answered.

Ben headed back to his cabin and started tossing clothing and toiletries into his duffle bag. _Clothing? _Check. _Sunglasses? _Check. _Cologne? Cologne?_ Where was his cologne? How could he go out with the ladies smelling like he'd just spent a few months stuck on a submarine with a couple hundred bodies? After a few moments of frantic searching, he located his cologne under his bunk. _Cologne? _Check.

After going over everything in his mind one more time, Ben zipped up his duffle bag and slung it over his shoulder. Now the only thing left to do was find out about getting a launch. He headed for the bridge where he knew the captain would be.

Stepping onto the bridge, Ben looked around for the captain. He spotted him talking to O'Neill and headed over towards them.

Bridger caught sight of Ben out of the corner of his eye and politely excused himself from O'Neill. Moving to meet Ben halfway, the captain let a small smile spread across his face. Seeing the smile, Ben immediately began to worry.

"Ahhh, Lieutenant Krieg," Bridger said cheerfully. "Just the man I wanted to see."

"Oh?" Ben asked nervously. "Why's that?"

"I think we need to have a talk about responsibility and roping other crew members into helping you do your job."

"Oh, that," Ben said. "I'm sorry I didn't start the inventory earlier, Sir, but you know, things come up sometimes, and well..." he trailed off, not really sure what to say.

Bridger smiled and laughed. "Relax, Ben, I'm not going to yell at you. After talking to Lieutenant Commander Hitchcock earlier, I found I didn't have to. She said she gave you quite the dressing down."

"That she did," Ben responded with a smile of his own. "She's good at that."

"I bet," Bridger answered. He caught a glimpse of the duffle bag Ben was carrying. "All ready for leave, I take it? Lucas mentioned earlier that you were going to try and get off the ship early."

"Yeah," Ben said, "I was actually just coming to talk to you about that. We've got the request for replacement supplies all done and submitted, so I just wanted to get permission for me and Lucas to take a launch up to the base so we can get out of here before the storms hit. If we wait until the ship gets to base, we might not be able to get out of here."

"Well, the National Weather Service said it's getting pretty rough up there, but they haven't issued any official warnings yet," Bridger said. "If you leave now, and you promise to take care of Lucas, I don't see why you can't leave."

"Excellent!" Ben exclaimed before regaining his composure. "I-I mean, thank you, Sir," he stammered.

"You're welcome, Lieutenant," Bridger said. "Dismissed."

Ben gave a brief salute and headed off the bridge to meet Lucas at the Moon Pool.

Ben entered the Moon Pool to see Lucas standing by the tank talking to Darwin. The teenager's bag was sitting on the floor by his feet.

"Hey, kid!" Ben greeted Lucas enthusiastically. "All ready to go?"

"Hey, Ben," Lucas answered. "Yeah, I've got all my stuff here, there's just one thing."

"What's up?"

"Well," began Lucas, "Darwin here made another trip up to the surface, and he said that the weather is getting much worse. He said it's a lot windier, and the water is getting more and more choppy. I'm not sure if it's safe to take a shuttle up."

Ben considered this for a moment, but then he shook his head. "I don't think it's a problem. I was just on the bridge talking to the captain. He said the National Weather Service hasn't issued any warnings, and that as long as we leave now and I promise to keep an eye on you, we're all set to take a shuttle." Lucas looked somewhat skeptical. "Come on, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Ben," started Lucas, "we're talking about you and me in a shuttle in bad weather. The worst that could happen is pretty bad."

"Touché," said Ben with a smile. "All the more reason to get out of here ASAP." Lucas still looked hesitant. "Hey, first round of drinks is on me," he said. "Non-alcoholic for you, of course," he added.

Lucas smiled and shook his head. "Eh, why not? Besides, if anything happens to me, Bridger will have your head."

"I'll remember that," said Ben, throwing his arm around the teenager's shoulders. He started to lead Lucas out of the Moon Pool so they could head to the launch bay, but he stopped and turned back to the tank where Darwin was still waiting near the edge. "See ya later, Darwin!"

"Yeah, see ya, Fish Face!"

"Bye, Ben. Bye, Lucas," came Darwin's response.

Ben and Lucas both smiled and left the Moon Pool, heading for the launch bay.

After getting clearance from the bridge, Ben had piloted his and Lucas's shuttle away from the seaQuest. As they neared the surface, however, Ben had to slow down.

"I knew we should have waited," Lucas grumbled as the shuttle started getting bounced around harder and harder.

"Yeah, well you know what they say about hindsight," Krieg said through gritted teeth as he fought to keep the shuttle under control. It certainly wasn't easy, and Lucas's sarcastic remarks were definitely not helping here.

"Yeah, it comes around to bite you in the ass as soon as it gets a chance," Lucas responded under his breath.

"I've never heard it put quite that way," Ben replied, trying to lighten the mood even though he was starting to agree with Lucas that they shouldn't have left early.

"That's _my _version," Lucas said.

Suddenly, just as it felt like they were about to be rolled by the wild water, a warning light started going off on the console in front of them. "Just perfect," groaned Ben.

"It looks like the instruments are working fine," Lucas said, giving everything the once-over. "A wire probably came loose and set off the warning light off. Want me to take a look?"

"Better not," Ben said. "Like you said before, if anything happens to you, Bridger will have my head, and the best way to make sure that nothing happens to you is for you to stay put."

"Come on," Lucas started, "I'll be careful. Besides, what if it's not just a loose wire. Better safe than sorry, right?" He started unbuckling his seatbelt.

"I guess," said Ben, unable to keep the worry out of his voice, "just be _really _careful. I value my life."

As steadily as he could with the shuttle bouncing around like it was on a trampoline, Lucas slid out of his seat and onto his knees on the floor in front of the instrument panel. Ben tried to watch him out of the corner of his eye as he took the front of the panel off to take a look at the wires, but he had to quickly return his full attention to the shuttle.

"See anything?" asked Ben.

"Yeah," Lucas began, "it does look like a loose wire. This'll just take a sec-"

Lucas's words were cut off as the shuttle gave a particularly violent jerk. Lucas's head hit the bottom of the console with a dull 'thud,' and Ben's head hit the controls. The last thing he saw as pain filled his head and his vision went dark was the sight of his friend's body sprawled on the floor next to his feet...

BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP!

Ben groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He moved his hand to his head to feel for the welt that must have been there after he was knocked out by the controls, but all he felt was the smooth skin of his forehead.

Actually, now that he thought about it, his head didn't even hurt. _Weird_, Krieg thought, _my head must be harder than I thought_. All of a sudden, he remembered something. _Lucas!_

His eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright. As he did, a blanket fell from around his shoulders. He looked around frantically, but there was no sign of Lucas anywhere! As his eyes kept moving around him, he realized something. He wasn't in the shuttle - he was in his cabin on seaQuest.

_That's not right_, he thought to himself. He tried to focus. He forced himself to calm down and really looked around for the first time since waking up. There was his duffle bag - his _empty_ duffle bag - on the floor in front of the closet. There were his toiletries on top of his locker. He thought for a moment and then hung over the side of the bunk. Sure enough, there was his cologne!

BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP! The alarm clock continued to go off until Krieg slammed his hand down on it.

Was that all a dream? It had felt so real. _What the hell is going on? _Ben asked himself.

End of Chapter 3

Ok, so what do you think? Hopefully I haven't lost anybody yet. Remember, criticism is welcome, as long as it's constructive.


	4. Chapter 4

Wow, I never thought it would take this long to update. Many, many apologies.

In the months before the new year, life got very busy with work and other obligations, and I promised myself that after the new year started, I would continue the story. Unfortunately, I found out that on New Year's Eve, my great-grandmother (my mother's grandmother) passed away, and the holiday was spent packing and making travel arrangements to go to the funeral. After I came back from the funeral, I wasn't feeling terribly motivated.

In any case, I am back now, and I will try to see the story through to the end. This chapter, and all those following, are dedicated to Grandma Rose as: thanks for teaching me to play poker at my parents' kitchen table, for teaching me how to bet using a bowl full of pennies, for driving me around in her old-fashioned red car with the fins and the hard white top, and for staying with me when my parents couldn't be around; an apology for not going to see her the last couple of years (even though it was hard and scary seeing her the way she became and remembering her the way she used to be, I still should have gone); and the goodbye I didn't get to say in person. With all my love.

As with chapters past, this chapter will start with a recap of the end of the last chapter. For those still reading, thanks for sticking with it (and with me).

Chapter 4

_BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP!_

_Ben groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He moved his hand to his head to feel for the welt that must have been there after he was knocked out by the controls, but all he felt was the smooth skin of his forehead. _

_Actually, now that he thought about it, his head didn't even hurt. **Weird**, Krieg thought, **my head must be harder than I thought**. All of a sudden, he remembered something. **Lucas! **_

_His eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright. As he did, a blanket fell from around his shoulders. He looked around frantically, but there was no sign of Lucas anywhere! As his eyes kept moving around him, he realized something. He wasn't in the shuttle - he was in his cabin on seaQuest._

_**That's not right**, he thought to himself. He tried to focus. He forced himself to calm down and really looked around for the first time since waking up. There was his duffle bag - his **empty** duffle bag - on the floor in front of the closet. There were his toiletries on top of his locker. He thought for a moment and then hung over the side of the bunk. Sure enough, there was his cologne!_

_BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP! The alarm clock continued to go off until Krieg slammed his hand down on it. _

_Was that all a dream? It had felt so real. **What the hell is going on? **Ben asked himself._

Ben took a couple of deep breaths, trying to get his racing heart to still. _Think, Ben! _he said to himself. _It must have been a dream_. After all, his duffle was empty, and everything else was still sitting where he usually kept it.

As he started to calm down, Ben thought back to the dream and what it might have been trying to tell him. _Damn, the inventory..._ he thought. _Gotta get that done and get out of here before the storm!_

Just as he had in his dream, Ben grabbed his uniform and started getting dressed, thinking of the best way to take care of the inventory. He finished buttoning his shirt and sat back down on his bunk. _First step? _he asked himself. Well, in the dream, he had gone to look for Lucas so that Lucas could help him with the inventory. _That was a good idea_, he said to himself with a mental smirk. _After all, two heads are better than one - especially when one of the heads is a certified genius._

Leaving his cabin, Ben started heading for the mess to get breakfast. Halfway there, he ground to a halt. The sudden memory of the food in his dream reminded Ben of how much he disliked the food (_if you can call it that_, he thought) and coffee-drink in the mess. He decided that shore leave would come soon enough and that his opportunity to get some real food was a good motivator to get the inventory done and get off the ship. He also made a mental note to buy some more _real _coffee after he docked at Pearl.

_Mmmmm, kona coffee_, he thought to himself as he turned and headed for the gym to find Katie. He remembered that in his dream, he had finally located Lucas at the Moon Pool, but he decided that now he was awake, he would be better off finding Katie, which was a sure thing since she always worked out at the same time. After all, dreams weren't always accurate - Lucas probably wasn't in the Moon Pool at all!

* * *

A couple minutes later, Ben entered the gym, shivering a bit at the cooler air. He gazed around the room and finally spotted Katie using one of the weight machines by the wall. He headed in her direction.

"Morning, Katie!" he said in his cheeriest voice.

"Lieutenant," Katie barely acknowledged as her arms swung towards each other, pulling the weights.

_Uh oh_, Ben thought. Her referring to him by rank was almost a sure sign of a bad mood. "Nice look you got going here," he said with a smile, trying to get her to lighten up.

Katie paused her workout for a moment. She looked down at her lycra workout clothes that were stained with sweat and touched her hair, which was in a messy ponytail. "Did you actually want something, Krieg, or did you just stop by to comment on my choice of morning wardrobe?"

Ben flushed, thinking of his dream. This reminded him so much of what had happened in it. "Um, actually, I w-was just going to ask if you'd seen Lucas. You're always up and about so early that I figured you might have seen him or known where he was."

Katie raised one eyebrow. "Have you tried the Moon Pool?" she asked with a sigh. He slowly shook his head. "Uch," she made a sound of disgust as she started using the machine again. "Maybe you should try there." He nodded and started walking away. "You know, you might have thought of that yourself if you actually used half of the brains you were probably born with!"

Ben stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around. That was just what she'd said in the dream! _Whoa_, he thought. _Total deja-vu_...

* * *

As soon as Ben got into the corridor outside the gym, he took off at a run towards the Moon Pool. He slid to a stop inside the door. Sure enough, Lucas was standing by the edge of the pool, just like in his dream, looking into the water.

Lucas didn't appear to have heard Ben's less than graceful entrance. Forgetting what happened next in the dream, Ben quietly made his way up to Lucas, clapping his hand down on the teenager's shoulder. He got a quick reminder as Lucas's elbow flew back into his stomach. Ben let out a groan of pain.

Turning his head, Lucas winced. "Ben! Man, I'm sorry - I"

Gently rubbing his stomach, Ben finished the thought. "I know, you didn't hear me."

Lucas frowned. "How did you know I was going to say that?"

Ben opened his mouth to speak, but then he closed it. He thought for a moment before replying, "Lucky guess. Don't worry, it happens all the time."

"I'll bet," Lucas said, smiling. "What's up?"

Ben paused for a second, thinking of how uncannily like his dream this was. "I've been looking for you," he began as Lucas started looking back at the water. Deciding to learn from his mistakes, dreamt mistakes as well as real ones, he wisely decided not to bring up anything pop culture-related. "Ok, I give - what's so fascinating about the water?"

"I'm waiting for Darwin," the teenager replied. "He was going to swim up to the surface and come back to tell me if the storms have started yet. I want to try and get off the boat tonight if I can, so I won't be stuck here."

"Couldn't you just look on the Internex for a weather update?" he asked, belatedly thinking that this was exactly the question he asked in his dream.

"I could," Lucas began, "but you know the meteorologists never know what they're talking about." As Lucas paused to take a breath, a name came to Ben's mind. _Stu Kerr_, he thought. "There was a weather guy that my grandparents told me about once. His name was Stu Kerr, and he always said that he would never give his forecast without first looking out the window." Lucas continued, completely oblivious to the amazed look on Ben's face. "Well, looking out the windows here won't do me much good, so I sent Darwin up to see what the weather is actually doing." He paused, waiting for Ben's response. When he didn't receive it, he turned to look at Ben more closely, seeing the odd look on his friend's face. "You ok, Ben?"

Ben shook his head, trying to get it all straight. "Uh, yeah, just having a moment of deja-vu." Lucas nodded, as if that explained everything. Ben tried to smile reassuringly. "I'm, uh, actually trying to get off the ship early myself. Only I have this monster inventory to do, and I was hoping you, my best and definitely smartest friend in the world, might be willing to help me out. You know, it will get done a lot quicker with two of us, and then we can get started on some fun times involving beaches and margaritas. Non-alcoholic for you, of course."

Lucas took a moment to think as Ben watched him, trying to remember what Lucas said next in his dream. Just as the words came to his mind, Lucas voiced them: "I guess I can help you out."

"Great!" Ben cried as he spied the gray of Darwin's fin heading through the water towards the edge of the Moon Pool. "Excellent timing! He can tell us about the weather, and then we can get started on that inventory..."

* * *

After hearing Darwin's forecast, Lucas and Ben stepped out into the corridor to make their plans, leaving the dolphin to swim out to the Aqua Tubes.

Just as Ben remembered them doing in his dream, they agreed that Lucas would talk to the science crew, Captain Bridger, and Commander Ford, thereby saving the lieutenant from the imminent lectures he would get from the doctor, the captain, and the commander about responsibility. He knew he'd be going to Katie to get her list, and he'd had one dressing down from her already. _Well, three, if you count the two in the dream_, he thought.

After deciding to meet up at lunchtime, Lucas headed towards the science labs and Ben headed to Engineering.

Before looking for Katie, Ben gathered the other crew members there around him and explained that he needed lists from them of items that needed to be replaced. "Only essential items," he told them. "Personal objects will have to wait until after shore leave." The crew members groaned but grudgingly went back to their stations to start making up their lists.

Ben hung around for a while and collected the lists once the engineering crew were done. He then went in search of Katie to ask for her list.

"How you ever got to be a lieutenant is beyond me," she said to Ben. However, Ben's eyes were focused on the fingers of her right hand, which were playing with the collar of her uniform. "What _exactly _are you looking at, Lieutenant?" she asked harshly.

"Nothing," he said quickly moving his gaze up to meet hers. "And in response, I must say that my dazzling wits and charm are responsible for me being elevated to the auspicious position of Lieutenant."

"Yeah, right," she said.

"An-y-way," he continued, "can I have your list so I can order your replacements before I go on leave or what?"

As he expected after what happened in his dream, Katie had her list already finished. She took it out of her pocket, but unlike in the dream, Ben grabbed it out of her hand before she could hold onto it. She gave him a brief look of surprise before telling him that he was lucky she'd written it up a couple of days earlier when she was expecting him to come asking for it.

"Yeah, I'm real lucky," he acknowledged sarcastically. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a boat full of people to talk to."

Walking away, Ben suddenly turned around to ask, "Hey, where's your necklace?"

Katie's fingers still fiddled with her collar as she snapped, "I just didn't feel like wearing it today, ok?!"

Ben wisely kept his mouth shut and continued on his way out, wondering why his mentioning her necklace bothered her so much.

* * *

During lunch, Lucas cheekily told Ben that the captain wanted to talk to him. "Great," came Ben's mumbled reply. They then proceeded to exchange notes on who they had already talked to.

Before Lucas could bring it up, Ben mentioned the idea of heading to Lucas's quarters, calling the rest of the crew on their Pals, and starting a spreadsheet to submit electronically with the requisition form. Ben tried to hold back his laughter at the astounded look on Lucas's face.

"What's the matter, kid?" Ben asked as he watched Lucas's jaw practically hanging on the floor.

"Nothing!" Lucas cried in response, finally closing his mouth. "You're never going to believe this, but I was thinking the exact same thing!"

"Well, you know what they say, great minds think alike," Ben replied with a grin a mile wide. "This is gonna be perfect."

* * *

After finishing the inventory and enduring the inevitable groans from crew members who were told that their personal items couldn't be replaced until after shore leave, Ben finished packing (remembering that his cologne was under his bunk), and he and Lucas made their goodbyes. They headed for the launch bay, Ben brushing aside the concerns Lucas voiced about the weather.

Ben was excited to be able to actually get off the ship so he wouldn't have to dream about it anymore. Powering up the shuttle, Ben piloted it away from the seaQuest, thinking only of the first round of drinks he'd promised to buy Lucas.

With the shuttle nearing the surface, Ben's thoughts went back to what happened in his dream as they started getting bounced around. As if from a distance, Ben thought he heard Lucas say something like, "I knew we should have waited..."

"Sorry, kid," Ben started. "Hindsight is always 20/20."

"Yeah," Lucas answered, gripping his seat. "It also comes around to bite you in the ass as soon as it gets a chance."

"Your version?" Ben asked, trying to lighten the tense mood that had fallen over the two.

"Yeah," Lucas said, just as the shuttle felt like it was going to roll.

With dread, Ben looked at the console in front of them, just as the familiar warning light started going off. "Just perfect," he groaned.

Lucas looked over the console. "It looks like the instruments are working ok, so a wire probably came loose and set off the light. Want me to take a look?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, kid," Ben said, remembering the dream. "Remember, my ass will be grass and Bridger will be the lawnmower if anything happens to you."

"Come on," Lucas said, already unbuckling his safety belt. "I'll be careful, and just in case it's not a loose wire, it's better to know. Better safe than sorry, right?" he asked as he slid to his knees on the floor in front of the instrument panel.

_Famous last words_, Ben thought to himself as the shuttle started jerking around harder and harder.

Seeing Lucas crouched down like that made Ben incredibly nervous. "See anything yet?" he asked through gritted teeth as he fought to keep the shuttle under control."

Lucas took the front of the instrument panel off to take a look."Yeah," he said, "it is just a loose wire. I'll only be a sec-"

_Damn!_ Ben thought as the shuttle was shaken violently. Knowing it would happen but powerless to stop it, he saw Lucas's head hit the bottom of the console right before his own head came in contact with the controls. He lost consciousness to the scarily familiar sight of Lucas laying on the floor by his feet...

* * *

BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP!

The second he heard the obnoxious sound, Ben's eyes shot open and he sat straight up. He looked around in a panic, expecting to be in med bay, the hospital, or dead - anywhere but where he actually was.

Somehow, he was back in his cabin! There was his duffle bag! And his toiletries! He bit his lip, wondering if he dared... He decided he did dare and hung over the edge of his bunk. Sure enough, there under the mattress was his cologne!

_Ok, this can't be just a dream_, Ben thought frantically. _It can't even be a dream in a dream! What is happening to me?!_

End of Chapter 4

Ok, I know this is listed as humor, although I guess it's kind of dark humor. I had intended this to be much funnier than it's turning out to be. If only I could figure out how to write the slapping montage from the movie "Groundhog Day..."

Oh well, let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you so much to those who reviewed the last chapter. Your patience and positive feedback are greatly appreciated. They should also be rewarded soon. I know where I want this story to end up (finally!), and I believe I know how to get it there. There should only be two more chapters after this.

This chapter has a double dedication. First, to my great-grandmother, Grandma Rose, who I love and miss very much. The second is to my grandfather. He passed away when I was 10, but if he were still alive, today (February 18) would have been his 100th birthday. Happy birthday, Pop-pop! I love you, and I miss you!

A special thanks to Questfan for her kind words of encouragement during a difficult time.

Remember, the disclaimer was at the beginning of Chapter 1. So, here we go with Chapter 5, as always, starting with a brief recap of the end of Chapter 4...

Chapter 5

_BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP!_

_The second he heard the obnoxious sound, Ben's eyes shot open and he sat straight up. He looked around in a panic, expecting to be in med bay, the hospital, or dead - anywhere but where he actually was._

_Somehow, he was back in his cabin! There was his duffle bag! And his toiletries! He bit his lip, wondering if he dared... He decided he did dare and hung over the edge of his bunk. Sure enough, there under the mattress was his cologne!_

_**Ok, this can't be just a dream**, Ben thought frantically. **It can't even be a dream in a dream! What is happening to me?!**_

_Get a grip, Ben_, he told himself. _Something weird is happening, and there has to be a reason._

Ben turned so that he was sitting on his bunk sideways and leaned back against the wall. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to think of what he should do next. The first time he'd woken up, he'd gotten dressed right away. _Come to think of it_, he thought, _that's what I did the second time too_.

Deciding that there would be no harm in just getting dressed, Ben got up and put on his uniform. What had he done next before? _Aha! _he thought. He'd gone to see Katie to ask her if she knew where Lucas was. Even though he knew Lucas would be at the Moon Pool, and he definitely wanted to speak to Lucas, he decided to go see Katie first. Although this time, he would take a different approach.

* * *

Ben stood at the entrance of the gym, watching Katie using the weight machine. He carefully went over in his head what he wanted to say to her. Finding the words he wanted, he slowly approached her.

"Hi, Katie," he said in an apologetic voice.

"Lieutenant," Katie acknowledged, just as she had the last two times Ben had approached her in the gym. Ben fought off the feeling of deja-vu that one word gave him.

"Katie, I'm really sorry to bother you while you're working out, but I need to talk to you," he said in his most polite voice.

His sincere tone stopped Katie mid-arm swing. "What's going on, Krieg?"

Ben looked around, noticing that the other crew members in the gym were looking at him with smirks on their faces. They were obviously amused by his attempts to be civil with his ex-wife. "Ummm, maybe it would be better if you came with me and we talked in the mess. Or maybe outside. I don't want anyone overhearing."

Katie started moving her arms again. "Can't this wait?" she asked, somewhat irritated but not showing the outright animosity she had shown the last couple of times.

"I don't think so," Ben answered. "This is really important."

Katie's arms kept moving, but she closed her eyes, as if praying for patience. After a few moments of Ben waiting while anxiously holding his breath, Katie opened her eyes and stopped her workout. "Ok, Ben, you have five minutes of my time out in the corridor." Ben let out his breath in a relieved sigh and smiled. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Katie asked after Ben didn't move. "Out!"

Ben gave her a sheepish grin and headed for the door with Katie following behind.

When the gym door closed behind Katie, Ben glanced up and down the corridor to make sure no one was around. Not seeing anyone, he turned to Katie and started, "Have you ever known, I mean been absolutely certain, that you were gonna die?"

Katie snorted and turned to go back to the gym. "Don't tell me you dragged me away from my workout because you found more fish poop," she said with disgust.

"No!" Ben insisted. "This is something else, something more important," he said earnestly.

Something in his tone made Katie turn to face him again. "What, Ben? What is so important?"

"Something's happening to me," he started, "and I don't know what it is." At her skeptical look, he continued. "I woke up this morning and got dressed. The problem is, I've woken up this morning and gotten dressed three times now!"

"You mean you woke up three times and got dressed three times?" she asked confusedly.

"No, I mean, something has happened, and I keep living the same day over and over again," he tried to clarify. "It's been today three times now, and the last two todays ended with me and Lucas dying in the shuttle on the way to Pearl!"

Katie eyed him suspiciously. "Are you on something, Lieutenant?" she asked.

"No!" he protested. "Every time I wake up in my cabin, I remember that I have to do inventory before shore leave starts -"

"You mean you haven't even _started_?!" she cried.

"No, but you don't yell at me about that until I come to get your list, which I know you've already got finished by the way. Anyway, after I realize that I need to do inventory, I get dressed, I come here to ask if you've seen Lucas, you insult my intelligence, and then you tell me to try the Moon Pool."

"Well that's the place he's most likely to be," Katie started. "You know, you might have thought of that yourself -"

"If I actually used half of the brains I was probably born with?" he finished for her. "Yeah, I know."

"How did you know I was going to say that?!" she asked in astonishment. "And how did you know I already have my inventory list done?"

"The same way that I know you're also not going to be wearing your necklace with your Naval Academy ring today." She looked down at the floor at the mention of her necklace. "So, are you going to help me figure this out?"

Katie took a deep breath and shook her head. "I don't think so, Ben. Try Lucas, he's the genius around here." And without waiting for a response, she went back in the gym, slamming the door behind her and leaving a very confused Ben standing in the corridor.

* * *

Entering the Moon Pool, Ben spotted Lucas waiting by the edge of the pool, right where he knew he'd be. Remembering what happened the last two times he approached Lucas, he called out to him from the doorway.

"Hey, kid!"

Lucas looked up and turned around, smiling. "Hey, Ben. What's up?"

"Not much," Ben answered. "Waiting for Darwin?"

"Yeah," Lucas said. "He was going to swim up to the surface and come back to tell me if the storms have started yet. I want to try and get off the boat tonight if I can, so I won't be stuck here."

"Good idea," Ben said with a smile. "Better than checking on the Internex, that's for sure. After all, meteorologists never know what they're talking about, right?" He laughed internally at the amazed look on Lucas's face. Not wanting to give up the moment, he continued, "There used to be a weather guy whose name was Stu Kerr, and he always said he would never give his forecast -"

"Without first looking out the window!" Lucas finished with astonishment. "How did you know I was going to say that? No, never mind, I don't want to know. Anyway, I just want to get off the boat as soon as I can. Want to come with me if it's safe?"

Ben's smile faded. "Well, Lucas, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. First of all, I have inventory to do before I can leave, and I know that with your help, I'd be finished by this afternoon. _But_, I also know that I - _we_ can't leave the boat today, so there's no use in rushing through inventory."

"What do you mean we can't leave the boat today?" Lucas asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"Have you ever known, I mean been absolutely certain, that you were gonna die?" Ben asked.

Lucas laughed. "Not that crap again, no pun intended."

"No!" Ben insisted. "This is something else, something more important."

Ben then proceeded to explain to Lucas what he had told Katie, about how the day seemed to keep repeating. When Ben got to the part about him and Lucas dying in the shuttle, Lucas had a startled look on his face.

"Well, you're the genius," Ben said, mirroring Katie's sentiments regarding Lucas. "What do you think?"

"What do I think?" Lucas asked. "I think you're nuts is what I think."

"Just go with me on this. Please?" Ben pleaded. "I need help."

"I'll say," Lucas muttered under his breath. Seeing the anxious look on Ben's face, Lucas apologized. "Sorry, it's just that I don't know what you expect me to do."

"Just be you and use that brain of yours," Ben said. "What might be a possible explanation for this?"

As Lucas started to think, a fin appeared in the Moon Pool and started heading their way. Darwin's head broke the surface and Lucas stroked it, thinking about possible explanations (other than insanity) for what was happening to Ben. Ben remained silent, hoping that Lucas would come up with an answer.

After a couple of minutes, Lucas broke the silence. "Well, it sounds like there's some kind of time loop that's only affecting _you_. Or it's affecting us all, and you're the only one who remembers the day repeating."

Ben smiled. "You're good, kid, I'll give you that. So what do we do to break the loop?"

"I don't know, Ben," Lucas answered. "Maybe you've already done it. Maybe you're supposed to stop us from getting on the shuttle this afternoon. And if that's the case, then you can go get started on your inventory - yes, I'll even help you - and we can get off the boat after the storms are over."

"Lucas, you are _brilliant_!" Ben exclaimed, throwing his arm around the teenager's shoulders.

"So they say," Lucas responded with a smug grin.

"Let's get started," Ben said, leading Lucas away from the Moon Pool.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent completing the inventory. Trying to learn from his previous mistakes, Ben even took the time to get lists of everyone's personal items. He wasn't fortunate enough to avoid Katie's and Bridger's lectures about responsibility, but feeling certain that tomorrow would be a brighter day, he didn't think much of them.

After dinner, Lucas and Ben retreated to Lucas's cabin to enter the lists into a spreadsheet that would be sent electronically with the proper requisition form.

It was with a sense of satisfaction that Ben returned to his cabin that night. He smiled as he burrowed down into his bunk and started drifting off, content that even though shore leave would be postponed slightly, the new day would bring good things...

* * *

BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP!

Ben was still smiling as he awoke to the sound of his alarm going off. He slammed his fist down on top of the annoying little machine, and he opened his eyes to the sound of beautiful silence. As he sat up, a sudden thought came to him. _I don't remember setting that alarm last night..._

The smile faded from his face.

_It can't be_, he thought. _Lucas said that the time loop already broke because I stopped us from getting on the shuttle!_

_Ah_, said a rational voice in his head that sounded just like Katie. _Lucas said 'maybe' you'd already broken the loop._

_No_, he said to himself. _I probably just forgot that I set my alarm last night_.

But there was a doubt in his mind. It was a new day!

Wasn't it?

End of Chapter 5

Poor Ben. Is it a new day? Or does he still have something he needs to do? Hopefully we will find out soon.

As always, let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

Hello! I bet anyone who started reading this story way back when I first posted it thought it was abandoned. Mais non, I am back! Life just gets kind of crazy sometimes, and lately it has been the kind of crazy that took me away from my computer and sent my imagination on vacation.

Anyway, one more chapter after this one, and then I am done. I think I have learned a valuable lesson here: finish writing a story in its entirety before I begin posting it (that way, it won't go so long between chapters).

So, this chapter is for Kiddo (happy birthday, Kiddo!) and Grandma Rose.

Remember the disclaimer way back at the beginning of Chapter 1? Well, it still applies. So, here we go with Chapter 6, as always, starting with a brief recap of the end of Chapter 5...

Chapter 6

_BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP!_

_Ben was still smiling as he awoke to the sound of his alarm going off. He slammed his fist down on top of the annoying little machine, and he opened his eyes to the sound of beautiful silence. As he sat up, a sudden thought came to him. __**I don't remember setting that alarm last night...**_

_The smile faded from his face. _

_**It can't be**__, he thought.__** Lucas said that the time loop already broke because I stopped us from getting on the shuttle!**_

_**Ah**__, said a rational voice in his head that sounded just like Katie. __**Lucas said 'maybe' you'd already broken the loop.**_

_**No**__, he said to himself. __**I probably just forgot that I set my alarm last night.**_

_But there was a doubt in his mind. It was a new day! _

_Wasn't it?_

* * *

_I don't believe this_, Ben thought to himself. He glanced around the room, looking for the tell-tale signs that the day had started over again.

His duffel bag was still empty, and all his toiletries were still in the same places they'd been. A quick look under his bunk told him that his cologne was still there. _That doesn't mean anything_, Ben thought, _because I didn't pack my stuff the last time_.

Ben got up and got dressed. He then sat down on his bunk to think about things. Then hope suddenly sprang into his heart. His computer clock! He knew that his computer clock also contained a calendar, and by looking at it, he could prove that the day had passed.

Ben moved to his desk where the computer had been waiting for three days to start the inventory (_the inventory! _he thought), and he turned the machine on. He waited impatiently for the computer to boot up. It felt like it was taking forever, and he started tapping his fingers against the desktop.

Finally, the screen came to life. Ben hesitated for just a moment before clicking on the computer's clock to bring up the calendar. As his finger clicked, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, he opened his eyes.

His heart sank as he saw that, once again, it was the day before shore leave was scheduled to start.

* * *

Deciding to forgo the conversation with Katie, Ben headed directly to the Moon Pool to find Lucas. Repeating the same day over and over had at least given him the advantage of knowing exactly where people were going to be.

Just as he had expected, Lucas was standing by the edge of the pool, staring into the water. This time, however, he saw that Lucas was speaking. By not going to the gym, he had gotten to the Moon Pool early enough to hear Lucas's request to Darwin.

"Lucas still scared?" Darwin asked in his mechanical voice.

Ben frowned. This didn't sound like a simple request to go and check the weather; it sounded more personal. He was tempted to walk away, but Darwin's mention of Lucas being scared kept him glued to the spot.

"A little bit," Lucas answered. "Not as much as right after the attack, but it's still there."

"Why scared?" Darwin asked. "Bad men gone."

"I know they're gone, pal," Lucas started, "but it's this little nagging fear at the back of my head."

"What is nagging?" Darwin asked. Ben's curiosity kept him there, listening.

"Let me give you an example," the teenager said. "Say you're out looking for fish one day, and you're looking in a spot that you've been to many times. You follow me?"

"Darwin follow," the dolphin said.

"Good," Lucas responded. "Anyway, say you're out looking for fish in this spot one day, and you get attacked by sharks. And then say that someone or something comes along and captures the sharks. Now, you know that the place you go to get fish is safe, but when you go there, you're still a little afraid that sharks might come and get you. The nagging feeling I get about the men who came in my cabin with the guns would be like the fear you get when you go to a familiar fishing spot where you were once attacked by sharks. You understand?"

"Darwin understand," the dolphin responded. "SeaQuest attacked by sharks, make afraid."

"Exactly," Lucas said with a small smile. "I still feel a little bit afraid, and I'm sure some of the others who were on the ship feel that too."

Ben wanted to interrupt, to announce his presence and say something that might help Lucas feel a little bit better, but his mind was a blank. He had no idea that people were still bothered by the attack.

"Who else afraid?" Darwin asked.

"Well, I know Chief Crocker has been a little bit off, especially after being injured and everything, and Katie's still on edge."

Something clicked into place in Ben's brain. Some of the people he cared about were still afraid, and they were hiding it very well. Maybe he hadn't broken the loop because there was still something he needed to do. Like help his friends.

Ben knocked on the door and took a step into the Moon Pool. Lucas turned around quickly, his face flushing. Ben knew that the teenager was very good at hiding what he was feeling behind smiles and quick-witted remarks, and the kid would be embarrassed if he thought anyone had overheard such a personal conversation.

"It's ok to be afraid, Lucas," Ben started, "especially when something really scary happens to you."

Lucas looked at the floor. "But it's all over, and I know nothing else is going to happen, so I don't know why I'm still afraid."

"You're human," Ben said, putting his hand on Lucas's shoulder, "that's why." Lucas smiled. "Is it true, what you just said about Katie?" Ben asked. Lucas raised his eyebrows inquiringly. "I mean about her still being on edge."

"Yeah," Lucas said, confused. "Why wouldn't she be?"

"I don't know," Ben started, "she's usually such an ice queen, even during scary situations. I used to take her to horror movies, and she wouldn't blink at all. _I'd_ be the one hiding my face in _her_ shoulder."

Lucas chuckled to himself. "I can picture that." He sobered up immediately, though. "I think it's more than the being scared that's got Katie on edge. She lost something important during all the mess. I mean, lots of people's things got damaged, but she lost something pretty irreplaceable."

"What did she lose?" Ben asked.

"Some necklace," Lucas responded.

The pieces started going together in Ben's brain. _That's why Katie's been so upset! Her Naval Academy ring is missing, and she can't get a new one!_

"Hey," Ben started, in a somewhat insulted tone, "how come she told you she lost her necklace but not me?"

"Well," Lucas answered, "she didn't. Not really, anyway. I saw her sitting in the mess one day, and she looked really unhappy. Since we went through the whole attack together, I sat down with her and asked her what was wrong. She told me then."

"She looked unhappy, you asked what was wrong, and she told you, just like that?!" Ben asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah," the teenager answered.

"Huh," Ben said and started thinking. Maybe he was supposed to help Lucas through his fear and help Katie get her necklace back. Maybe that would break the loop! Help Lucas, help Katie, and help the rest of the crew get their things replaced!

Trying to get himself back to the present, Ben shook his head briefly. "You know, kid, anytime you feel afraid or you need to talk, you can talk to me. Darwin's not the only one who's a good listener."

Lucas smiled at that. "Oh, I know. I was going to come here and talk to him anyway. I want to try and get off the ship early for shore leave, and I want him to go up to the surface to check on the weather." Lucas's smile widened. "Hey, you want to come with me if it's not too bad up there?"

Ben squeezed Lucas's shoulder. "Can't, kid, I got inventory to take care of, and yes, I know I should have started it days ago." Lucas laughed again and shook his head. "But, you shouldn't be trying to get off the ship today anyway."

"Why not?" Lucas asked, his tone of voice expressing his curiosity.

_Because if you try it, you'll end up in Med Bay - or worse_, Ben wanted to respond. Instead, he turned to walk out of the Moon Pool and simply said, "Just trust me."

* * *

The first thing Ben did when he left the Moon Pool was go back to his cabin. He grabbed his Pal and sent a text message to the crew:

_SeaQuest Crew Members:_

_I am taking inventory of all items damaged or destroyed in the recent terrorist attack on seaQuest that need to be replaced. Please send me your list as soon as possible. All items will be replaced during the upcoming shore leave, and replacements will be here before we depart Pearl Harbor._

_Apologies for not making contact sooner._

_-Lieutenant Benjamin Krieg_

With that done, Ben called Lucas's Pal and made arrangements to meet him in the mess for lunch later. Knowing that his best friend was still scared over the recent ordeal, he was going to make every effort to ensure that he would be ok. After making his plans with Lucas, he set about trying to come up with a plan to find Katie's ring.

* * *

Ben's first thought was to try Katie's cabin. He knew he'd have to wait a little while for her to go on shift before beginning his search, so he headed for the mess. He couldn't search on an empty stomach, and he didn't have anything to eat in his own room, so he resigned himself to eating the same manufactured food that everyone else did.

Moving through the breakfast line, Ben picked up a plate of scrambled eggs (or what the UEO _said _were scrambled eggs) and a glass of orange juice. Glancing around the mess, he spotted Ortiz and O'Neill sitting at one of the tables, finishing up their food before their shifts. They saw Ben and waved him over.

"Our shifts start soon," Tim started as Ben set his food down, "but we can stay for a couple minutes."

"Thanks," Ben said, "I could use the company." He started eating his eggs.

Tim and Miguel looked at each other and smirked. Ben's disdain for the ship's food was well known throughout seaQuest. "So," Miguel said, trying to hide the laughter in his voice, "how's the food?"

To the amazement of both men, Ben just shrugged and kept eating.

"Wow," Tim said. "No comments? Nothing about how the eggs taste like wet cardboard?"

"No point," Ben replied. "I can't do anything about it, and I gotta eat." He took a sip of his orange juice.

"Ok, who are you and what have you done with the real Ben Krieg?" Miguel asked, his eyebrows raised.

Ben laughed quietly to himself and just finished his eggs.

"I'm impressed, Ben," Tim said. "Not only are you _not _making comments about the food, but I think you've actually finished a seaQuest meal in record time!"

Ben grinned at the two of them. "Well it's no fun if I have to sit here and finish it by myself, now is it?"

"Guess not," Miguel responded as the three of them got up to dispose of their trash.

They walked into the corridor together. "Have fun, guys," Ben said to Miguel and Tim with a wave as they headed off towards the bridge. He turned his footsteps towards Engineering. It was time to go look for Katie's necklace.

* * *

Standing at the intersection of the corridors closest to Katie's room, Ben looked at his watch. If he had timed this right, and he was pretty sure he had, Katie should have just finished getting cleaned up after her workout and would be leaving for her shift.

Hearing the door to her cabin open, Ben smiled and ducked out of sight. He could hear her footsteps going the other way. _Perfect! _he thought. He quietly went over to her cabin, looked up and down the corridor to make sure no one was watching (all he'd need would be for some nosy crew member to tell Katie they saw him sneaking into her room), and slipped inside, closing the door behind him.

As Ben expected, the room was immaculate, if somewhat bare. Although, when he thought about it, he wasn't surprised at the lack of personal items in the room. Katie had probably lost some things in the flooding besides her necklace, just like the rest of the crew.

Ben stood in the middle of the floor, looking around, wondering where to start searching. If Katie had lost her ring, then that meant she would have already looked in the obvious places and couldn't find it. The ring was small enough that it could have gotten stuck in a vent, so Ben decided to start there.

_Now_, Ben thought, _where are the vents in this place?_

Ben looked carefully around the room, but he couldn't find a vent. _It's gotta be here somewhere_, he thought. Not spotting one, he started looking in the less obvious places.

He didn't find the vent behind Katie's locker or behind her desk. Glancing around the room, he decided that there was one place the vent might be that he wouldn't spot right away. Ben walked over to Katie's bunk, bent over, and peered under it. _Bingo! _he thought. He lay down on his stomach and wriggled under the bed so that only his legs were sticking out.

Ben closed his eyes, trying to picture the size of Katie's ring. Deciding that it quite possibly could have slipped through the vent, he opened his eyes and pulled on the grating. It barely budged. He started pulling harder, and in his frustration, he didn't hear the door to the cabin open.

"Lieutenant!" the word came, distracting Ben as the vent grate came free and smacked him in the face. He quickly tried to scoot himself out from under the bed, somehow managing to bang his head on the frame.

As soon as he was clear of the bed, he jumped up and saluted. "Lieutenant Commander!"

Katie looked like she was ready to breathe fire. "You have 10 seconds to explain yourself!"

The words came pouring out of Ben's mouth. "I saw Lucas in the Moon Pool earlier, and he said you were upset because the necklace with your Naval Academy ring on it was missing, so I came in to look for it for you." He took a breath and looked at his watch, smiling. "Whew, and I still had 3 seconds left."

Katie stared at him with her jaw hanging open. "You came in here to look for my ring?"

Ben nodded. "I know how much it means to you."

After a moment, Katie started getting over the shock of finding Ben in her room, on his stomach, under her bed. She smiled. "Thank you, Ben."

Ben let out a breath. "You're welcome. Do you think you lost it in here in the flooding? Or do you think you could have lost it somewhere else?"

Katie thought for a moment. "I doubt I lost it in here, although I suppose it's possible. When Schraeder took over, which was the last time I remember wearing it, he caught me on the bridge. After that, we were in the launch bay."

"I'll check the launch bay then," Ben said, "and then the bridge."

Katie opened her mouth and then paused before finally saying, "If anyone can find it, Ben, you can." She went to her desk, picked up the report she had come back to get, and turned to leave. Stopping at the door, she turned to face Ben once more. "Thanks, Ben, really. I'm impressed." Then, Katie left.

Ben smiled widely. He'd impressed two people. It seemed like the day was turning around already...

End of Chapter 6

Ok, folks, one more to go. I know it probably doesn't seem like this can be wrapped up in one more chapter, but I know how it's going to end, I know how to get there, and I know it won't take long. Hopefully by the end of next weekend this will all be done.

If you're still with the story, and you have my deepest admiration if you are, I would love to hear what you think.

Cheers!


	7. Chapter 7

Howdy!

I guess you all thought I was just fibbing when I said I hoped to have the rest of this story done by the end of the weekend :o) Shame on you!

I really appreciate all the positive feedback I've gotten for this story. It's been a very good motivator.

So anyway, here it is! I've reached the end of the road, lucky Chapter 7. Of course, I could always be persuaded to do an epilogue, but that will depend on you, gentle readers. Remember, the disclaimer from Chapter 1 is still in effect.

For Grandma Rose...

Chapter 7

_Katie opened her mouth and then paused before finally saying, "If anyone can find it, Ben, you can." She went to her desk, picked up the report she had come back to get, and turned to leave. Stopping at the door, she turned to face Ben once more. "Thanks, Ben, really. I'm impressed." Then, Katie left._

_Ben smiled widely. He'd impressed two people. It seemed like the day was turning around already..._

* * *

After Katie left the room, Krieg decided to suit his actions to his words and headed for the launch bay. He didn't know how he was going to find the necklace, but he was determined to do it. Katie had actually expressed confidence in him, and he wouldn't let her down!

Ben passed the science lab on his way to the launch bay. Through the open doors, he caught a glimpse of Captain Bridger and Dr. Westphalen talking about their shore leave plans. As he passed the doors, he saw Bridger say something and gesture to the corridor. Ben faced front and kept walking.

Footsteps hurrying to catch up with him alerted him to the fact that the captain and doctor had followed him. "Excuse me, Lieutenant," Bridger started, but Ben cut him off.

Turning around and walking backwards, he said to the captain and doctor, "Sorry, Sir, Doctor, I'm in a bit of a hurry right now. You know, some odds and ends to take care of before shore leave, not to mention that inventory! I'm _really _sorry I didn't start it when you told me."

And with that, he turned forwards and started walking normally again, leaving a flabbergasted captain and doctor standing behind him with their mouths hanging open and wondering how he knew they were going to tell him off for not starting the inventory earlier.

* * *

Entering the launch bay, Ben looked around, trying to figure out where he should start. After a moment's thought, he decided to start at the door and go around the room in smaller and smaller circles until he got to the middle where the ladder down to the launch was.

Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he got down on his hands and knees, and started edging his way around the wall. He figured that this way, he'd also spot any vents that he could check, just like the one in Katie's cabin.

As he made his first circle of the room, he checked two air vents and the floor grating under three instrument panels, but he did not see Katie's necklace.

Very slowly, Ben worked his way around the room. So intent was he on trying to spot the necklace that he didn't hear the doors of the launch bay open. He didn't even hear the person there clearing his throat the first time. The second and louder time, Krieg looked up into the somewhat amused face of Security Chief Crocker. Blushing furiously, he jumped to his feet.

"Lose something, Lieutenant?" Crocker asked, trying very hard not to smile.

"Um," Ben started, wondering if he should just tell Crocker what he was up to. Deciding that the truth was best (_Would Crocker believe any other story I come up with? _Ben wondered), he said, "Yeah, Chief, lost something in here when the terrorists were on board."

"Uh huh," Crocker responded. "And looking for it requires crawling on hands and knees?"

"Well," Ben started, "it's pretty small, and it could have gotten lodged in the floor, or kicked under an instrument panel, or..." he trailed off. He'd told Chief Crocker the truth, that he was looking for something, but he didn't want to admit he was looking for Katie's necklace. No need to give the older man a reason to think he'd gone soft. "You know," Ben said with a bright smile, "you are looking so much better! How's the head?" he asked with enthusiasm.

Crocker couldn't conceal a snort of laughter as he recognized Krieg's obvious attempt to change the subject. He did believe Ben was looking for something lost, and it wasn't necessary that he find out what it was, so he just let it go.

Shaking his head, Crocker headed for the door. "As you were, Lieutenant."

As the door closed, Ben got back to his searching. An hour later, he knew the necklace was not on the floor or in an air vent. He stood up and started back around the walls, looking for anything jutting out that the necklace chain might have gotten caught on.

Not seeing the chain anywhere, his eyes were drawn to the last place in the room that he hadn't looked. The water.

_Damn_, he thought, _time to go find a wetsuit_.

* * *

Lucas was sitting down at a table in the mess, a lunch tray in front of him. He decided to wait for Ben before he started eating, but he was thirsty, so he took a sip of milk. He let his eyes wander around the mess, and he started to choke on his milk as his eyes took in the sight of Ben standing in the doorway wearing a wetsuit, dripping wet.

His coughing attracted Ben's attention, and the lieutenant hurried over to his friend's side, pounding him on the back to try and get him to stop choking.

After a few moments, Lucas got his breathing back under control. He took a napkin off his try and wiped up the milk that had dribbled onto his chin. He smiled widely at Ben and said, "What are you wearing?"

Ben looked down at himself and pretended to be insulted. "What, you don't like it? I hear it's all the rage these days!"

"Yeah, if your name is Scuba Steve, maybe," Lucas replied, still smiling. "Why are you wearing a wetsuit?"

"I'll explain in a minute, kid," Ben said as he headed for the lunch line to get his own tray of food.

Lucas took a careful sip of his milk as he contemplated the possible reasons for his best friend showing up in the mess wearing a wetsuit and dripping water all over the floor. Each reason that came to mind seemed as unlikely as the last, so he just waited for his friend to get back and explain himself.

Ben returned a couple minutes later, setting his own tray down before sitting. Lucas looked at him inquiringly before digging into his food.

"Ok," Ben started, "you want to know why I'm in a wetsuit, right?" Lucas nodded. "If you must know, I was looking for something in the launch bay, and when I couldn't find it in the room, I thought maybe it was in the water."

"How would something of yours end up in the water in the launch bay?" Lucas asked incredulously.

"Well," Ben started before taking a bite of food, "I'm looking for something that got lost during the attack. And," he continued, almost mumbling, "it's not exactly mine..."

"Not yours?" Lucas wondered aloud. "Why would you be looking for something that's not..." He paused, as if sudden knowledge had come to him. "Wait! You're looking for Katie's necklace aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for her necklace," Ben answered quietly. "And keep your voice down, I don't want these people around here to think I'm whipped."

Lucas snorted. "Whipped? Ohhhh, I get it, you don't want the crew to think that big strong Ben is out there looking for his ex's jewelry? But it's so _sweet_!" Lucas said, drawing out the last word sarcastically.

"Careful, kid," Ben said with a smile, "or you're going to be wearing my mashed potatoes."

Looking at the thick, lumpy white mound on Ben's tray, Lucas shuddered. "Now _there's_ a threat and a half."

Ben just shook his head and continued eating. After a few moments of silence, he asked, "So how you doing?"

Lucas looked up in surprise. "I'm doing ok," he answered.

"You sure?" Ben asked. "Nothing you need to talk about?"

Lucas smiled. "I'm sure, Ben."

"Ok," Ben replied, "But if you ever do, you'll tell me, right?"

"Yeah," Lucas answered. He paused a moment before speaking again. "So, why didn't you change out of your wetsuit before you came to the mess?"

"Well," Ben started, somewhat reluctantly, "there's one more place I have to look, and I'm going to need it..."

* * *

After leaving the mess, Ben headed for the Moon Pool. He wasn't going to look for Katie's necklace there, but it would be an easy way to get to where he _would _look without completely humiliating himself.

Looking around the Moon Pool, Ben grabbed a breathing unit and the vocorder before moving over to the water. He set down the breathing unit and switched on the vocorder. "Hey, Darwin," he said into the yellow box, "can you hear me?"

He waited a couple of minutes, and sure enough, there was Darwin's dorsal fin visible in the water. It headed towards him. Breaking the surface of the pool, Darwin spouted some water playfully in Ben's direction. "Darwin hear!" said the dolphin in a chipper-sounding voice, or as chipper as the vocorder's processor allowed.

"Good to see you, fish-face," Ben said, stroking Darwin's head. "I need a favor."

"What favor?" Darwin asked.

"I need you to take me to the pool on the bridge," Ben told the dolphin.

"Use legs," Darwin responded.

"Very funny," Ben said with a smile. "I need to look for something in the water, and it'll be easier for me to search if you can just take me there. Plus, I don't want to disturb any of the people on the bridge. Can you help me out here, pal?" he asked.

The dolphin bobbed his head up and down a couple times. With a satisfied smile, Ben put on the breathing unit and got in the pool. Grabbing onto Darwin's dorsal fin, he took off through the water, heading for the aqua tubes.

* * *

_This is amazing!_ Ben thought as Darwin pulled him through the aqua tubes. _This is so much better than the mag-lev! _

Ben looked through the windows of the tube as Darwin pulled him along. Thankfully, he didn't pass many crew members along the way, but those he did pass, he waved at cheerfully. If he hadn't had the breathing unit in his mouth, he would have had a smile a mile wide stretched across his face.

After about five minutes, they arrived at the pool on the bridge. Ben was grateful that the top of the pool was closed. That would minimize the chances of someone on the bridge seeing him. He hoped fervently that nobody _would _see him so that he wouldn't need to provide any explanations.

Patting Darwin's side, he released the dolphin's dorsal fin and began his search of the bridge pool. The sides of the tank that weren't made of glass were lightly colored, and he realized with a sinking heart that the necklace would show up pretty easily. If he didn't spot it right away, which he didn't, then it probably wasn't there. That would mean he'd have to search the entire bridge!

As he moved through the water to where Darwin was waiting for him by the entrance to the pool, he spotted a grate in the floor. _Of course! _he thought. _The filter!_

He wanted to smack himself for not thinking of the filter earlier. If Katie's necklace had fallen in the bridge pool, it would have been sucked into the filter.

Ben swam to the floor of the pool and pulled up the grating covering the filter. There it was, plain as day!

After grabbing the necklace from the filter, Ben pumped his arms upward in victory. As he did, he heard a strange humming sound coming through the water. He looked up, and his eyes opened wider as he realized that someone was opening the top of the pool. With an inward groan, he swam upwards.

As he broke the surface, Ben saw that every head on the bridge was turned his way, the expressions on the faces ranging from shock to amusement.

He swam to the edge of the pool and took off his breathing unit. "Hey, everybody!"

Ben could see O'Neill and Ortiz sitting at their stations with smiles on their faces, their shoulders shaking with stifled laughter. Even Captain Bridger looked like he was fighting to conceal how entertaining he found Ben's antics.

Commander Ford did not look happy as he marched across the bridge. "Are you out of your mind, Lieutenant Krieg?! What are you doing in the Moon Pool?"

Ben hoisted himself out of the water and stood at attention. "Just looking for something I lost, Commander!"

"And did you find it?" Ford asked, the frown on his face deepening.

"Aye, sir," Krieg said.

Ford glared at him. "Then I _respectfully suggest_ that you leave the bridge and change back into your uniform."

"Aye, sir," Krieg repeated with a salute. Then he smiled brightly at the other crew members on the bridge, turned, and headed back to his quarters.

* * *

Ben stepped out of his cabin. His hair was still damp, but now he was wearing his uniform once more.

Before doing anything else, he pulled out his Pal to see if he had gotten the lists from the other members of the crew. He knew that there were 212 crew members on the seaQuest, and it looked like in the hours he'd spent looking for Katie's necklace, he had gotten lists from 190. _Not bad_, he thought, _I guess more people needed stuff than I realized_. He would check in with the remaining 22 crew members that night.

He checked his watch and knew that Katie would still be in engineering. He headed in that direction, his hand moving to his pocket to make sure the necklace was there. He would ask Katie if she could come to the mess for a quick snack, and he would quietly give her the necklace.

He made his way through the corridors, nodding politely to people as he went. He received a few smirks from people who had clearly heard about his escapade in the bridge pool.

Ben soon reached engineering and went inside. Katie was standing near one console, speaking to one of the crew. He waved at her, and she threw a brief smile his way before continuing her conversation.

Ben waited several minutes, and when it looked like Katie was done speaking, he made his way over to her. "How about a short snack in the mess?" Ben asked, hoping Katie would just come along easily.

"Sorry, Lieutenant," she replied, but without the usual sarcasm she used when speaking to him. "Bit busy at the moment." Katie became distracted by the readouts at another console and headed over there.

Ben followed her. "But I have something for you."

"Ok," Katie said, sticking her hand out but keeping her eyes glued to the screen, "just give it to me here."

By now, Ben's presence had drawn the attention of several of the engineering crew. "Um, it's kind of personal."

"Ben," Katie said in exasperation, "I don't have time for a snack. Either give me what you have to give me now or just wait for my shift to be over."

At this point, all eyes were on Ben. _Oh, what the hell_, Ben thought. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace. Walking over to Katie, he undid the clasp. Stopping in front of her, he put the chain around her neck and fastened it.

Katie looked down and fingered the ring hanging on the chain. She looked up at Ben in surprise. "You found it?"

Ben smiled widely, ignoring the grins on the faces around them. "I told you I would."

Completely forgetting all sense of decorum, Katie threw her arms around Ben's neck and hugged him tightly. "Thanks, Ben," she whispered in his ear.

"You're welcome," he replied, his arms tightening around her waist.

A chorus of "_Awwwwww_s" echoed around engineering. Katie stepped back and looked around at everyone.

"The next person I hear a sound out of will be scrubbing out the bedpans in Med Bay for the rest of the tour. Back to work!" Katie then turned back to the console she'd been standing at before Ben gave her the necklace.

Before Ben could turn around to leave engineering, Katie's eyes met his. She winked.

Smiling brightly, Ben turned and left engineering.

_Yep_, he thought, _this day has definitely turned around_.

* * *

BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP!

Ben groaned as his alarm went off. Reaching out an arm, he silenced the machine, but he kept his eyes closed. He was worried that if he opened his eyes, he'd find himself stuck on the same day once again. Had the good things he'd done the day before been enough to break the loop? He was afraid to hope.

Eyes still closed, Ben threw off his blanket and sat up. He stretched his arms up in the air, his back and shoulders making small popping sounds. He finally opened his eyes.

Ben cautiously made his way over to the computer to check the date. As he remembered doing before, he hesitated for just a moment before clicking on the computer's clock to bring up the calendar. Also as before, just as his finger clicked, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath and held it.

Opening his eyes, a smile spread across his face and he released his breath. _Yes! _he thought. He'd done it!

Just then his Pal beeped. "Krieg, here," he answered.

"Ben, it's Lucas," the teenager's voice came through the speaker.

"Hey, kid, what's up?" Ben asked.

"We just got word from the National Weather Service," Lucas began. "The storms around Pearl have passed. The weather system has moved over the Pacific towards the coast of California. You ready to get off the boat and have some fun?"

Ben couldn't keep the silly grin off his face. "You bet I am, kid, and have I got a story to tell you on the way to shore..."

The End

So did you love it? Hate it? Tell me what you think!

If five people ask me to do an epilogue, I will do one. It's not really needed, but I could come up with something humorous, just for you guys ;o)


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